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April 18, 2009

Box Score

OXFORD, Miss. - After taking Saturday's opener by a 5-2 count, No. 12 Tennessee (35-10-1, 11-7-1 SEC) dropped the nightcap to Ole Miss, 4-1, to split a doubleheader at the UM Softball Complex in Oxford, Miss.

Freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews guided UT's offense by posting a perfect 3-for-3 contest at the plate with a double and a triple. Sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve knocked in the Big Orange's lone tally via a seventh-inning groundout.

Sophomore Ashton Ward (3-1) got the start from the circle, allowing three earned runs on just four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work.

After Tennessee left junior first baseman Tiffany Huff stranded following a two-out walk in the top of the first, the Rebels got their initial base runner via an Ashley Dowdy free pass, opening the bottom of the second. First baseman Molly Goza sacrificed Dowdy into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. The UM base occupant would be left standing right there, however, as right fielder Amanda Hutcherson bounced harmlessly to third, and Ward struck out designated player Rachel Torres.

Andrews sparked some offensive life for the Big Orange with one down in the top of the third as her slap the other way traveled just over the third base line and down into the corner for a triple. Senior left fielder Lillian Hammond bounced to first as Ole Miss' Goza made a difficult grab reaching to her right. The fielder threw home to UM's Amber Tramp as the catcher applied the tag to retired Andrews and maintain the scoreless deadlock. With Hammond occupying second after the fielder's choice and a stolen base, a strikeout ended the once potentially lucrative inning with no scoring.

In the bottom of the third, Lady Vol starter Ward issued a two-out walk to left fielder Corrine Doornberg that quickly came back to haunt her. Second baseman Lisa Conchos blasted a 1-1 offering to deep left and over the wall for a homer, granting the Rebels a 2-0 lead over UT for the second straight game. Ward ended the inning by battling out of a 2-0 hole to strikeout dangerous shortstop Lauren Grill.

Ole Miss threatened again in the bottom of the fourth as Dowdy christened the frame with a lead-off double off the glove of a leaping Huff at first and down the right field line. Goza followed by lifting a fly ball out towards right field as junior second baseman Nicole Kajitani raced into the grass to make the catch. Hutcherson slapped the first pitch she received from Ward to center as sophomore Kelly Grieve barely had to move to grab the sphere. A routine groundout to second from designated player Rachel Torres was handled easily, leaving the runner stranded in scoring position.

In the top of the fifth, Andrews again delivered as the Tumwater, Wash., native slapped a 2-2 pitch from Ole Miss starter Lindsey Perry back through the middle for a two-out single. Hammond followed with a perfect bunt base hit towards third, joining Andrews on the bags. Grieve came to the dish facing a huge opportunity to get UT on the scoreboard, but got caught looking at strike three as two runners were left stranded.

Doubt started Ole Miss' half of the fifth inning with an infield single that was just out of a diving Kajitani's reach at second. Tramp sacrificed the runner up 60 feet on a perfect bunt to Huff for the initial retirement. Left fielder Corrine Doornberg followed by bouncing a ball back to the circle that Ward handled herself, throwing on to first as Doubt advanced to third. That base running improvement proved huge as Ward's first pitch to Conchos was wild, allowing the runner to scamper home for a 3-0 advantage.

In big-time need of something to happen offensively in the top of the sixth, Kajitani made the best of a swinging strikeout, reaching safely via a Perry wild pitch. After sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki fouled out behind the plate for the second out of the inning, freshman third baseman Jessica Spigner worked a free pass, placing UT runners at first and second. Senior pinch hitter Danielle Pieroni entered the match-up in place of freshman designated player Shelby Burchell and worked the count full at 3-2 before blasting a ball deep down the right field line but foul. A bouncing ball to second completed the frame as UT's left-on-base statistic grew to seven.

A throwing error on the Lady Vol infield allowed Grill to reach starting the bottom of the sixth. Dowdy followed by beating out an infield base knock towards first as the Rebels boasted a pair of runners with still no one retired in the inning. Goza dribbled to second as Kajitani made the play, tossing to Andrews covering second for the fielder's choice. With runners at the corners, Hutcheson grounded to Huff as the UT fielder tagged her running up the line and UM pinch runner Alyssa McGovern improved to second. A wild pitch from Ward allowed Grill to score from third as the Rebel lead grew to 4-0. Torres went down swinging to conclude the inning, but not before recording some valuable insurance on the scoreboard.

Webb attempted to get something going in the top of the seventh by leading off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield. Andrews followed by slapping a two-bagger just over the top of third base, allowing Webb to cruise into third safely with still no one out. After Hammond grounded out to third, Grieve bounced to second, knocking in UT's first run of the contest and cutting the deficit to 4-1. With Andrews standing just 60 feet from paydirt, Huff managed a walk to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the form of Tennessee's hottest recent hitter, Kajitani. The San Bernardino, Calif., product quickly fell behind in the count versus Perry, 0-2, before swinging and missing to end the contest.

No. 12 Tennessee wraps up its series against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com.